Overnight! Season Over for Two Players, Butler's Farewell, Suns Gear Up, Western Powerhouse Officially Out
On January 10th, Beijing time, the latest round of NBA regular season games have all concluded. In addition to the thrilling matches on the court, several significant off-court developments have emerged overnight in the league. Here, I will integrate and report on these updates, so please do not take them personally.
Two players have been ruled out for the season, with one team officially withdrawing from the pursuit of Butler, while the Suns are preparing themselves, and the Heat may have to accept reality.
According to NBA insiders, Magic star Wagner has officially undergone surgery for a torn knee ligament and will miss the rest of the season. As one of the starting core players for the Magic, Wagner averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist per game this season. Although a torn knee ligament can have a significant impact on a player's career, fortunately, Wagner signed a long-term top salary contract with the team this summer, ensuring at least his income is secured. Additionally, the 76ers have also announced that rookie standout McCain will miss the remainder of the season. He was once a strong contender for Rookie of the Year, averaging 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.
Regarding Butler's future, Heat insiders revealed that Riley has never considered offering Butler an early contract extension. Since suspending Butler for seven games and openly seeking trades throughout the league, the Heat have not received any satisfactory offers. If no trade is reached after the suspension is lifted, the Heat may have to accept the reality of recalling Butler to the team to continue their playoff push. However, if they miss the trade deadline, the Heat will be left watching as Butler becomes a free agent this summer without receiving any compensation.
For both Butler and the Heat, as long as the trade market remains open, there is still hope for a turnaround. ESPN personality Perkins disclosed that the Suns have always been eager to acquire Butler and have even prepared a two-year, $121 million contract for him. Durant is also keen to team up with Butler, and should a trade occur, Durant would renew his contract with the Suns without hesitation. Multiple American media sources have indicated that Butler has made it clear to NBA teams that he will only sign with the Suns.
However, the Suns face a challenging issue: with Durant and Booker untouchable, the only valuable asset they can offer is Beal. Unfortunately, the Heat is not interested in taking on Beal's underperforming contract, and Beal himself has publicly reminded the Suns of his trade veto power, giving him more control over the situation than the Suns. Therefore, the Suns need to find a way to involve a third-party team to take on Beal and convince him to agree to the trade, which is why Beal has recently been demoted to the bench, signaling that the Suns are serious about trading him.
It is worth noting that the Western Conference powerhouse, the Warriors, who had previously expressed interest in Butler, chose to withdraw from trade negotiations after Butler "declared" his intentions to the Suns. According to NBA journalist Amick, the Warriors are not interested in trading for Butler and are unwilling to offer him a supermax contract. Besides not wanting to offer Butler a max contract, the Warriors are also unwilling to part with Wiggins and Kuminga to acquire Butler, as they are currently very satisfied with the duo's performance. This means that the Warriors have essentially withdrawn from the Butler sweepstakes, as their only two valuable assets are Wiggins and Kuminga.
Lastly, Warriors star Green stated that Butler currently faces only two paths: one is the possibility of being traded to a struggling team, and the other is to return home and continue playing for the Heat. So, what do you think? Will the Suns ultimately succeed in trading for Butler? Can the trio of Butler, Durant, and Booker win a championship?